Calling the Doctor
by Shivver
Summary: Resolving to lock Gallifrey in a single instant of time, the three Doctors must enlist the help of their previous incarnations.
1. Starting the Calculations

**Author's Note:**

This is an alternate version of what happened after the War Doctor, Tenth Doctor, and Eleventh Doctor decided to freeze Gallifrey. My "real" version of what happened is in my story "The Message," but I couldn't resist writing this one. I hope to continue this train of thought and write all of the other Doctor encounters sometime.

Recommended familiarity with "The Day of the Doctor."

* * *

Strolling down Totter's Lane, the old man in the Edwardian frock coat and Karakul hat paid no attention to the people going about their business on the bright London day. He was too preoccupied with his unfruitful search for an elomistenical fuse that had taken the better part of the morning. Not that he had expected to find such a thing on this backwards planet, but he had hoped to find perhaps a junked television that he could scavenge parts from to build his own fuse. Unfortunately, the technology of 1963 was not advanced enough, and would not be so for another twenty years at least. He'd have to figure out another possible source.

As he neared the junkyard, a trio of men standing at the left side of the entrance caught his attention. They were deep in conversation and had not noticed him yet. He was not keen about entering the junkyard, and then the police box inside the junkyard, with them standing there, as he didn't want them watching him. This group of men were rather odd, standing out a bit from the rest of the London rabble. For one thing, they were all dressed very strangely, wearing neither the roomy solid suit of the businessman, nor the clean casual jacket and shaggy hair of the youngster. The tallest of the bunch wore a long brown overcoat over a form-fitting pin-stripe suit and… white sandshoes? His hands were jammed in his trouser pockets and his short hair stuck up, looking like he'd just gotten out of bed. The youngest one wore a purple frock coat similar to his own, strangely highwater pants, and heavy boots. His hair was also short except for a lock that hung into his eyes. The oldest one - older than himself - wore a worn leather jacket over a waistcoat, with a red scarf and a bandolier. He'd never seen such an odd collection of costumes. Well, not here on Earth, anyway.

The three men were discussing something that seemed of great importance. He wasn't close enough to hear the conversation except for the loud exclamations of the youngest one, who moved around while he talked and emphasized everything he said with wide hand motions. They didn't seem likely to move away on their own, so he decided he would have to ask them to move on. He walked a little closer

"What are you doing here?" he demanded from about fifteen feet away.

All three men immediately fell silent and turned to the intruder. They seemed reluctant to speak, until Sandshoes nudged the oldest one with his elbow.

"Oh, for gods' sake! I'd think after all this, you boys would be man enough to speak on your own!" He spoke with a slow, raspy voice and a pleasant, educated accent.

"That's what we have you for, Granddad." The youngest one spoke with rushed words, gesturing with his palms up.

"I'm not 'Granddad.'"

The tall one buried his hands deep in his trouser pockets. "See, Chinny, I told you we should have drawn straws," he said, his London accent clipped and short.

Chinny waved the suggestion away. "Too easy to cheat."

"Right! I would have cheated it to him!" He jerked his thumb at Granddad.

"Oh, will you two shut up?" Granddad rolled his eyes.

Their observer drew himself up, hands on his lapels. "I asked you, what are you doing here?"

Granddad stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back. "We're here looking for you, Doctor."

The Doctor rocked back on his heels. "For me? What could you possibly want with me?"

"Your help, of course."

The Doctor shook his head. "You must be thinking of someone else. I'm afraid whatever you're here for, it's none of my business. Off you go."

Sandshoes stepped out from behind Granddad and circled around the Doctor until he was at the right side of the entrance. Placing his hand on the fence post, he peered into the junkyard. "Oh, no, we're at the right place, and you're the right person. It's been such a long time."

Chinny walked directly into the junkyard a few feet. "I always meant to come back. Tried to come back, a couple of times. Always had something else to do first. You'd think I of all people could find the time. Looks just the same, doesn't it?" He spun on his heel to face the Doctor again.

The tall one rocked his head to the side to tap it against the gate post, exasperated. "Of course it looks the same. It _is_ the same."

The Doctor regarded the tall one, raising his chin. "If you're so certain that you're here for me, it is only fitting that you tell me who you are."

All three men responded at the same time, "I'm the Doctor."

Astonished, the Doctor looked around at all three of them. "You're all me?"

Again, all at the same time. "Yes."

He turned to Granddad. "How many regenerations now?"

The Doctor with the bow tie responded, "Twelve!" Turning his head, the Doctor regarded him with surprise, clearly not expecting the answer to come from him.

"Twelve?" The Doctor in the pinstripes frowned.

"You hogged two!"

Sandshoes scrubbed a hand down around his jaw. "I suppose I did. Forgot about that."

"So you're the last one then." The Doctor looked at Chinny dubiously.

"Surprised me, too," commented Granddad.

"There must be some great emergency for the High Council to allow all four of us together like this."

"Big emergency, yes. High Council, no. We're here on our own." Chinny punctuated each of his statements by pointing with alternate hands. He continued gesturing as he spoke, demonstrating the shape and size of his words. "Big Time War. Daleks attacking Gallifrey. Winning, too. But we're going to stop it." His wide gesture implied not only the four Doctors standing here, but all of them.

"_We_ are?" The Doctor held his head high. "If indeed Gallifrey is falling to the Daleks, I fail to see how even thirteen of us..."

"Twelve," Chinny interrupted, casting an accusatory glance at the tall Doctor.

"Oi! He was better off in Pete's World!" protested Sandshoes.

The Doctor's voice cut across them. "_However_ many of us there are, what are _we_ to do about it?"

Granddad jerked a thumb at the young-looking Doctor. "He came up with a brilliant plan, to lock Gallifrey, the entire planet, in an instant of time, like a stasis cube. When the planet disappears, the Daleks will destroy themselves in the crossfire, and the universe will be safe."

Sandshoes leaned in close to the Doctor, his coat flaring behind him. "It's risky, but it's the only hope we've got. What we need to do it is hundreds of years to do the calculations, and as many TARDISes as we can get to enact the stasis."

The Doctor put a finger to his chin. "I see. So you want me to start the calculations right now, then join you at the battle..."

"...where my TARDIS will broadcast the final calculations!" Chinny beamed, his arms raised in celebration. "Got it right away! See, I was such a clever young man!"

"Then we do not have a moment to lose. Come now. Let us get this started." The Doctor turned and strode into the junkyard.

Sandshoes ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, well, that's not such a good idea." The Doctor paused and turned back to the three men. "The last time the three of us entered my TARDIS, the desktop started glitching. Can't be a good idea for four of us to be there, is it?" Glaring at the bow tie Doctor, he sniffed, wrinkling his nose for a moment. "I switched the desktop back, but I keep finding your user prefs hidden all over the interface."

"Oh! Well! If you'd keep up with the times, you'd see the way I have it set up is far better," Chinny replied, pointing alternately at Sandshoes and himself.

Granddad rolled his eyes and sighed. "Here, Doctor. These are the coordinates and parameters you need." He handed the Doctor a small translucent cube. "Start that going, if you please, and we will see you at Gallifrey."

The Doctor nodded. "Certainly. It won't take but a moment." He disappeared into the TARDIS, and a minute later, the police box began to emit a cyclic groaning noise and dematerialized.

"That went better than I expected." Granddad gazed fondly into the junkyard for a few more moments. "I suppose we should get on with calling all the others. With the timelines out of sync, they won't know about this until we tell them. Split up, then?"

Sandshoes spoke up quickly. "Right. If you don't mind, I'd like to see my crickety self again…"

"Again?"

The Doctor in the pinstripes rubbed the back of his neck, a guilty look on his face. "Yeah, well, we had a temporal collision. My fault, really. Managed to not destroy the entire universe. But! I think it'd be best if I tackled my immediate predecessor. He'll be… tricky." The three Doctors bent their heads to assign themselves their selves, which took longer than they expected as they negotiated and traded tasks with each other. In the end, two out of three of them were satisfied with the results.

"Oh! Oh! I end up with _him_!" Chinny pouted, shoulders hunched forward and chin thrust out even further than normal. "While you two get all the easy ones! Not fair!"

Sandshoes threw up his hands in frustration. "It's completely fair. We drew straws!"

The bow tie Doctor pointed an accusatory finger at the tall one. "You cheated!"

"_I_ cheated? _He_ held the straws!" He jerked a thumb at Granddad.

Chinny turned to his youngest self. "Trade with me. Take him, and I'll take anyone else."

"You've only got two, while we each have three," Granddad pointed out. "Man up and just do it."

Sandshoes jammed his hands in his pockets and circled around to the side of his future incarnation, thrusting his chin out to murmur in his ear. "You'd better get to it. No time like the present." With a wide grin, he pulled back and spun on his heel to stand at Grandad's side.

Chinny stood sulking, shoulders rounded and arms hanging limply at his side. With heavy steps, he dragged himself to his TARDIS.

The tall Doctor sniffed, his nose wrinkling for a moment. "We'd best be off, too."

"Quite right." The oldest-looking Doctor took a few steps, then half-turned back. "You know, I _do_ know how to cheat at straws." He caught Sandshoes' gaze for a moment, then resumed the stroll to his TARDIS.

A hint of a smile dancing in his eyes, the tall Doctor pulled his TARDIS key out of his pocket and strode off, down Totter's Lane.


	2. The Angler in Motley

With a fishing pole clutched in one hand and a small tackle box dangling from the other, the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, letting the door close and latch behind him. Transferring the box to the hand with the pole, he grabbed the umbrella and folding chair leaning against the side of the police box and began strolling down the rocky path leading to the lake. A sunny, relaxing day at the water's edge, followed by a sumptuous fish dinner, was just what the Doctor ordered.

As he stepped out of the copse of trees that lined the banks of the lake and arrived at his chosen spot, it did not please him to see another figure, not thirty feet down the shoreline. Dressed in a purple coat and a dark bow tie, he was dashing back and forth, picking up rocks, examining them, and skimming them into the lake, all the while excitedly talking to no one in particular.

"Thing is, it's not just the flatness of the stone - like this very one - that makes it ideal for skimming. You need the right angle. Oh, this one's perfect! And a strong arm. Can't forget the arm strength. I don't have much arm strength. This stone's rubbish. And you have to spin the stone while you throw. I could build a skimming machine. I would call it my stone skimmer. It would skim the stone at just the right angle. And spin it. Skimmer and spinner. Spin it and skim it."

Grimacing in disgust, the Doctor was about to turn and walk down the shore to find a more peaceful spot when one of the man's gyrations faced him directly at the arriving fisherman. Pointing with a hand still holding a flat rock, the man called out, "Ah, yes, you're here! I arrived a bit too early. Forgot exactly when I landed. Right hour, wrong day. Took three tries to get the right one."

The Doctor dropped the chair, box, and umbrella, but continued to hold the fishing pole in his left hand. "You are looking for me? Who are you, and what do you want?" he asked as the man approached.

He seemed not to have heard the questions. Putting on a pair of round-rimmed glasses, he hunched forward, peering at the Doctor's clothing. "Just as I remembered! The colors are far brighter in the sunlight. Actually, it's the light that is brighter. The colors themselves don't change." He straightened, his arms wide. "Dazzling!"

Interpreting the statement as sarcasm, the Doctor drew himself up, used to the criticisms leveled at his manner of dressing. "You cretins have no appreciation for the sartorial arts. My taste is impeccable, and this coat in particular has won awards."

The man circled around the Doctor, viewing his outfit from all angles. "Exactly! That's just what I say! Well, it's just what you said, but I completely agree. Now, I wouldn't wear it, but I still keep it around."

The Doctor's eyebrow arched. "Just who are you? Your manner of speaking is singular, but your circumlocutions sound just like mine."

The man's face lit up and he waggled a finger at the Doctor's chest.. "Exactly! I knew you'd know me right off." He tore off his glasses and dropped them in a pocket.

With his free hand, the Doctor grasped his coat by the lapel and thrust his chin out in pride. "You claim to be a future me? You will excuse me if I require some proof."

"Oh! Oh! Right!" Tossing the skimming rock aside, the supposed future Doctor reached in a pocket and pulled something out. Holding his hand out in front of the Doctor, he opened it to reveal a handful of cat pins, one of which matched the one on the Doctor's lapel. "You see, I still have them all."

The Doctor gazed down his nose at them. "Humpf. I suppose those are proof enough, or you are a very thorough thief. So, you are my future, though your appearance is that of a very young man." Like his fellow self, he started circling the young-looking Doctor to check him up and down from all sides. "Please tell me that you are not my next-in-line. I should be disappointed to think that I will degenerate so much in one change."

The Doctor in the purple coat drew back with a wounded expression. "Oi! I knew you'd be like this! Never change, do you?"

"I certainly hope I do not, if this is the result!"

"Doctor!" a female voice called.

Both men turned and spoke at the same time. "Yes, Peri?" "Ah, Peri! So good to see you!"

The girl who had just arrived, carrying a large container and wearing a multi-colored blouse and shorts, stopped in her tracks, confusion plain on her face. She stared first at the man she didn't know, then turned to the Doctor holding the fishing pole and asked, "Is everything all right, Doctor?"

"Everything is perfectly satisfactory, Peri. Go along and get to your sunbathing. Down over there looks like a fine spot. Leave the supplies high on the beach." He gestured quite a ways down the shoreline.

"Uh, okay, Doctor." The Doctor seemed to be trying to hide something, and suspicious that things weren't "perfectly satisfactory," she gave them both a wide berth as she headed to the indicated spot, continuing to stare at the unknown man until she passed them.

"What'd you do that for? I'd like to have said hi," the young-looking Doctor asked, waving his hands in frustration.

"Can't let her see me like you. She's already seen who I used to be. It is mortifying." The Doctor in the gaudy coat pursed his lips in contempt.

"This! This is why I didn't want to come here!" Turning on the spot, the bow tie man raised his eyes to the sky, holding his hands palm up at shoulder height as if in supplication. "I _know_ you cheated, matchstick man! Don't know how you did it, but I know!" He spun on his heel and stepped up to his former self. "You're even worse than I remember. Oo, you think you're so good. Pompous, arrogant, and so full of yourself." He poked him in the chest with each adjective.

The Doctor was unperturbed. "_Where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will always be under good regulation_," he quoted. "You appear to be nothing but a garrulous scamp. No grace, no style, no maturity. I had always thought my immediate predecessor was the furthest I could fall, but apparently I was incorrect."

The younger-looking Doctor clapped his hands to the top of his head. "I would never have come here if we didn't need your help."

The Doctor smiled triumphantly. "And now, out it comes. Of course you must require me for something, risking paradox to come here. What have you gotten me into, boy?"

He stepped closer to his former self and stared directly into his eyes. "Not me. The Time War. Your future, my past. Daleks attacking Gallifrey and the planet's going to fall. We have a plan to lock it in an instant of time, but we need as many TARDISes as we can get to to do it."

The Doctor stared back at his future self while he processed the information, his expression dark and serious. After a quarter of a minute, he stated, "I surmise that you've already started the calculations. Quite a long time ago."

"_We_ did, yes."

"Excellent. Then there is nothing left to discuss. I shall do my part. This endeavour certainly shall not succeed without my assistance." As the Doctor turned towards his equipment, the man in tweed rolled his eyes.

The Doctor bent to pick up the chair, umbrella, and tackle box, then strode towards Peri. "Peri, I have some business to attend to with my associate, and I'll be taking the TARDIS." The girl, who had disrobed and was lying on her towel in a bathing suit, opened her eyes and raised herself on her elbow to gaze at the Doctor. "I shall leave my equipment here. Go ahead and enjoy your relaxation. Stay out of the water, though. We both know how that will turn out."

She furrowed her brow and sat up. "Where are you going? Can't I come with you?"

He piled his things nearby. "Not this time, Peri. It is a small task. No point in postponing your sunbathing. I shan't be long, and I shall pick up my fishing then."

"Oh, ok, Doctor. I'll be here." She turned to the Doctor's friend. "Watch out for him. He's a troublemaker." She smiled, then laid back down and closed her eyes.

"Oh, don't I know it? Always has been," the bow tie Doctor quipped. He grinned at the curly-haired Doctor, who, nose in the air, turned to walk towards his TARDIS. The other Doctor fell in with his step and held out a small translucent cube. "Here's the coordinates. You won't catch a single thing here, you know."

"What happened to the prohibition against giving your past self foreknowledge? Oh, I'm sure there's some nonsense going on about crossed timelines and not being able to remember, isn't there?" Smirking, he took the cube. "I will see you there." He disappeared among the trees.

As soon as he was out of sight, the young-looking Doctor jumped and punched the air, then strode off. "Glad to be done with that. Easy! I told them it would be simple. I have great diplomatic skills. Natural diplomat, that's me!" He continued convincing himself of his triumph all the way back to his TARDIS.


	3. A Tempting Proposal

Apparently, every public place in the universe offered cheap, battered fried food, and this marketplace, supposedly one of the largest and most popular in the galaxy, was no exception. Turlough wasn't quite sure what exactly was in the center of the blob he was holding with three fingers - definitely some kind of white meat, though it also had tentacles sticking out - but it was delicious, and he stuffed it in his mouth without much decorum. Standing by his side, Tegan watched him with curiosity.

"So, you like it?" She was squinting with disbelief at his taste in food.

"I haven't had anything like it in a long time. It's like something from home. Not quite, but close enough." He held up the plate. "Try it."

Tegan shuddered. "No, thanks. I don't like food that can grab onto my tongue." She looked around at the myriad of booths and stalls surrounding them. "They say you can get anything in this bazaar. I'm hoping for fish and chips."

"Best fish and chips are in Brighton," Turlough choked out through a mouthful of wriggle. "You'd think with the TARDIS, we could pop there any time we wanted."

"If we ever were given a choice." She rolled her eyes. "But no, the Doctor goes where he wants, and we're stuck millions of miles from a good beach, eating deep-fried alien."

Turlough eyed her sideways. "Present company excepted, I hope."

Tegan laughed. "I always forget that, that you're not human. Not like the Doctor - he's always alien. But you're so ordinary."

"Thanks a lot."

His sarcastic tone didn't faze her. "That was a compliment. I always wonder why that is."

Turlough was confused. "Why what is?"

"Why there are so many species that look human."

"The Doctor would say we look Time Lord," he pointed out between mouthfuls.

"Whatever. But look around." She gestured at the crowds of creatures in the bazaar. "All kinds of aliens, all colors, with three eyes, or extra legs, or no visible head, or whatever, and yet so many of them look like us, and they're probably all from different planets. Why is that?"

"It's called convergent evolution. Different species tend towards one specific form, due to similar environmental conditions."

"Speak English."

Always contemptuous of Tegan's ignorance, Turlough pursed his lips before speaking. "If the planets two species come from are like each other, their animals tend to evolve to be like each other." Tegan raised an eyebrow. "Yes, it takes a lot of coincidence, but obviously it happens. A lot."

"Wouldn't the odds be astronomical?"

"'That means 'really good odds.' The word you want is 'infinitesimal.' And it doesn't mean it can't happen, or that it can't happen a lot."

"I'll never understand this stuff." She absent-mindedly plucked the last blob from Turlough's plate and stuffed it in her mouth. It was actually very tasty, enough that she could ignore the tentacles. As she chewed, she surveyed the crowd, then tugged on Turlough's sleeve.

"Hey, look at that guy." She pointed at a tall human-looking man making his way through the throng of people.

Turlough tossed the plate into a nearby bin, then turned and looked him up and down. "What about him?"

Tegan exhaled heavily and cocked her hands on her hips. Her friend always missed the obvious. "He's in a suit and tie. Think he's from Earth?"

Turlough glanced around. All of the other human-looking people in the crowd were wearing various types of clothing: spacesuits, robes, jumpsuits were all common. Tegan was right. The man's suit, similar to what Turlough himself was wearing, would hint at an Earth origin. "Possibly. I don't know any other civilization that came up with hanging a piece of flapping cloth from your neck."

"He's kinda cute," she murmured.

"What?"

"Actually, he's gorgeous. Well, maybe if he combed his hair." She appraised the man again. His short brown hair was a complete mess, but he was definitely a looker, with large expressive eyes and a narrow strong nose, and a trim body. Glancing at Turlough, she saw his scandalized look and decided to embarrass him further. "Tall and slim. Bit of a fox. Do you think we could get the Doctor to take on another person? It's been so lonely in the TARDIS since Nyssa left."

Turlough sputtered. "You... What? Tegan..."

She couldn't keep a straight face. Pointing at him, she doubled over in laughter. "Look at you! You're all red! Your ears!"

Turlough scowled. "Tegan, you...! I don't believe..."

He was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice. "Tegan! Turlough! So good to see you! It's been forever!"

They both turned to see the man in the suit approaching, a broad smile on his face and his hands jammed in his trouser pockets. Neither Tegan nor Turlough had any idea who the man was, and they both unconsciously took a step back. Turlough was the first to find his tongue. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I know you."

"Of course you do! Look at you! Same as ever!" He grabbed Turlough's hand and shook it, then turned to Tegan to give her a hug, but she ducked and slipped away from him, retreating behind her friend.

"No, we don't! Who are you?" she challenged him. She was mentally cataloguing all of the adventures she'd had with the Doctor and Turlough, to figure out where this man fit in, but could not remember him at all.

"Sure you do, Tegan. You'll figure it out. Brave heart." He stepped back and surveyed the crowd. "So, where am I? You haven't seen me around here recently, have you?"

That was enough for Tegan. She slapped her hand to her mouth. "Oh! You're the Doctor!"

Grinning, the Doctor touched his finger to the tip of his nose, then pointed at her, then continued scanning the bazaar.

Turlough stared at both of them in turn. "What? Who's the Doctor?"

Tegan was still gaping at the man in the suit. "He is! He's the Doctor with a different face. He's..." Her eyes snapped to Turlough. "Oh bloody hell! I said he was..." She felt the heat of her blush sweep over her face, and she turned around to hide it.

Turlough stared at her, then at the stranger. Whatever was going on, this man was enjoying Turlough's confusion and Tegan's embarrassment, a wicked grin spread on his face. Turlough stepped forward. "Just who are you?"

"I'm the Doctor. Just not the Doctor you know. I'm from your Doctor's future. And I'm here looking for him." He stood squarely in front of Turlough, his feet planted far apart and his hands clasped behind his back. "Would you happen to know where he is exactly?"

Turlough wrestled with what he'd just been told, but he couldn't understand it. "What? How can you be...?"

From behind the new Doctor's back, a familiar voice called out. "Ah, there you two are. I hope you were able to enjoy yourselves while... Ah!" The blond Doctor in the beige and red coat and cricketing clothes was striding up, but stopped short upon seeing his pinstripe-suited self. "Oh, it's you, Doctor. A pleasure to see you again. Except... Oh, dear. Something must be terribly wrong."

"Hullo, Doctor!" The new Doctor smiled brightly. "It's always a disaster when we meet, isn't it?"

"By definition, it must be." Removing his Panama hat and holding it to his chest, he gazed at his traveling companions. Turlough was still staring at the brown-haired Doctor, a frown crinkling his brow. Tegan had recovered enough to turn back towards the Doctors, but her complexion was still bright pink. "Ah, I see you still take delight in sowing confusion. Skinny idiot," he chided warmly. His future self grinned, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Doctor?" Turlough interjected. "Who is this?"

"Ah, Turlough. This is a future version of me. Sometime in the future, I'll change and become him. Not too soon, I hope," he stated airily.

"Oh, not for at least another ten minutes," the Doctor in the suit replied with a cheery grin.

"You change what you look like?" Turlough couldn't believe what he was hearing, but before either Doctor could reply, Tegan put a hand on his arm.

"Yes, he can. I was there when he did it the last time. He used to be taller than him," and she jerked her head at the pin-stripe Doctor, though he only looked taller because his hair stood on end, "with really curly hair and more teeth than anyone should have." Turlough stood there speechless, looking back and forth between the two Doctors.

The blond Doctor turned to the newcomer. "Well, as I said, there must be some pressing reason for you to be here."

"Right." The brunette Doctor tugged his ear. "It's a very long story, but in short, in your future, there will be a great war, between us and the Daleks. The Daleks are at Gallifrey, and the planet will fall. We've worked out a plan, to place Gallifrey in a pocket universe, but we need as many TARDISes as we can get to do it."

"Ah. That sounds like a terrible plan."

"Well. Take what we can get. There are far worse alternatives." He pulled a small translucent cube from his pocket and handed to the Doctor, who examined it before closing his hand over it.

"Right. Well, no time like the present. Isn't that the saying?" His sunny smile didn't mask the apprehension in his eyes. He turned to his companions. "This shan't take long. Enjoy the bazaar, and I'll be back before you know it." He nodded at them, then turned to his future self. "I shall see you there."

"Oh, Doctor?" Turlough called, an inscrutable look on his face.

"Yes?" both Doctors answered. They glanced at each other, then the Doctor in trainers coughed and stepped back. The cricket-clad Doctor turned to Turlough.

"Tegan wanted to know…"

"Hey!" she exclaimed, grabbing Turlough's arm to try to shut him up. "Don't you dare!"

"...if you'd ask him to join the crew." His exaggerated his enunciation. "She said she's lonely and he's, what'd you say? Gorgeous. That's the word. And a fox. Ow!" She had cocked him in the ribs.

The Doctor looked his future self up and down, disbelief written plainly across his face. "I'm sorry, but I can't oblige that particular request, due to the temporal anomalies it would cause, but if you wish, Tegan, you are welcome to join him."

"What?" Both the woman and the pin-striped Doctor gaped at him.

"Well, certainly. I am sure he would enjoy the pleasure of your company as much as I have, wouldn't you, Doctor?"

"What?" The Doctor's mouth formed a perfect "O" as he stared at his former self.

"I thought so." The beige Doctor smiled happily. "See, Tegan? A splendid arrangement. Of course, your room and possessions are in his TARDIS. You could accompany him immediately."

While Tegan blushed bright red, the pin-stripe Doctor rubbed the back of his head. "I don't know if that's a good idea…"

"Oh, Doctor," the younger Doctor teased, "you are such an easy mark." The older Doctor rolled his eyes and gave the younger Doctor a respectful smile. Smirking at his future self, the Doctor placed his hat on his head at a jaunty angle and held up the cube. "You must excuse me. I have an important errand to run. It has been a pleasure seeing you again, Doctor." He turned and headed off towards his TARDIS.

The remaining Doctor smiled fondly at his former companions. "It was marvelous seeing you both again. Take care of me, won't you?" He winked, then stepped towards Tegan for a hug. This time she didn't refuse.

"We always do, Doctor." A rare smile on his face, Turlough offered his hand and they shook.

The Doctor bowed, "Must be off," and, spinning on his heel, he strode off, vanishing among the crowd.


End file.
